Rituals by Moonlight: An Herbal Almanac for Winter
An herbal almanac · October 2026 to February 2027
Long before calendars hung in kitchens, the moon told people when to plant, when to harvest and when to rest. Herbalists followed it too.
This winter, we are following it again. Below is our almanac for the four moons between October and February: what each phase is for, the herbs that suit it, and the small rituals we keep through the darkest months of the year.
The eight phases, and what they ask of us
New
Rest, set one intention
Waxing Crescent
Nourish and begin
First Quarter
Momentum and warmth
Waxing Gibbous
Refine and prepare
Full
Radiance, lighter sleep
Waning Gibbous
Digest and share
Last Quarter
Release and clear
Balsamic
Surrender, deep rest
Full 26 Oct · First quarter 18 Oct · Last quarter 1 Nov
The Hunter's Moon
The harvest turn. The clocks go back, the heating goes on, and the body asks for warmth.
First quarter · 18 October
The rosemary hour
Rosemary · Peppermint
At 3pm, steep a sprig of rosemary with a single leaf of peppermint in place of a second coffee. Breathe the steam for five slow breaths before you sip. Rosemary has been the herb of remembrance since antiquity.
Full moon · 26 October
A full-moon wind-down
Chamomile · Lime blossom · Lavender
Many of us sleep lighter around the full moon. Draw the curtains fully and steep chamomile with lime blossom an hour before bed. Then warm a drop of lavender in your palms with your Zodiac Face Oil and press it in slowly.
Last quarter · Samhain, 1 November
Light for the dark half
Lemon balm · Rose
Samhain is the old Celtic turn into the dark half of the year. Take your morning tea at the brightest window within an hour of waking, and make it lemon balm with a few rose petals.
New 9 Nov · Full 24 Nov
The Beaver Moon
The deep root. Hands, scalp and circulation feel the cold first, so this cycle tends to them.
New moon · 9 November
Intention, not resolution
Milky oat · Tulsi
Write one intention on a card, a single sentence in the present tense, and keep it on your dressing table until the next new moon. Milky oat and tulsi in the cup.
First quarter · 17 November
Warm from the root
Ginger · Cinnamon
Grate fresh ginger into a hot foot bath with a cinnamon stick for ten minutes, then brush the legs in long strokes toward the heart. Finish with a rich hand cream, such as our Starblood hand cream, on hands and heels.
Full moon · 24 November
Mask night
Rose · Frankincense
A rose clay mask for ten minutes, then serum pressed in with upward strokes from jaw to temple, by candlelight. Glow is mostly rest.
Waning gibbous · 27 November
The oat bath
Oat · Calendula
Tie oats and dried calendula into muslin and let it steep in a warm bath. Squeeze it over dry, winter-tight skin, then oil the body within three minutes of stepping out.
New 9 Dec · Full 24 Dec
The Cold Moon
Midwinter: party season, the solstice and a full moon on Christmas Eve.
Waxing crescent · 13 December
Hands that give
Calendula · Beeswax
Wrapping, washing up and cold air are hard on the hands. Once a week, apply a thick layer of hand cream at bedtime and sleep in cotton gloves.
Winter Solstice · 21 December
The return of light
Orange peel · Cinnamon · Clove
Watch the sunrise if you can, just after 8am in London. Then fill the house with a simmer pot of orange peel, cinnamon and clove, and light one candle for the year ahead.
Full moon · Christmas Eve
Under the Cold Moon
Chamomile · Lime blossom
Keep the last hour of the busiest day for yourself: a warm bath, chamomile and lime blossom, and face oil pressed in slowly.
Last quarter · 30 December
Leave the year on the cloth
Rose · Witch hazel
Double cleanse with our cleansing balm and a warm muslin cloth, mist with rose and witch hazel, then serum. Simple, and perfect before New Year's Eve.
New 7 Jan · Full 22 Jan
The Wolf Moon
The quiet start. No resolutions, only small rituals to carry the body through the darkest weeks.
New moon · 7 January
One word for the year
Lime blossom · Rose
Instead of resolutions, choose one quality you want to embody, such as steadiness or softness, and write it on your card.
Waxing gibbous · 19 January
The original hydrator
Marshmallow root · Calendula
Long before the sweet, marshmallow was a root valued for its softening mucilage. Steep it cold overnight, strain, and use the silky water as a toner before face oil.
Full moon · 22 January
Golden milk under the Wolf Moon
Saffron · Cardamom
Walk under the full moon for ten minutes, then warm milk with a few threads of saffron and a crushed cardamom pod. Saffron has been the spice of joy since the Persian courts.
Balsamic moon · Imbolc, 1 February
First stirrings
Calendula · Rose
The old festival of first spring falls under the balsamic moon. One gentle exfoliation that week, then calendula and rose. Glow returns slowly, from underneath.
New moon · 6 February
Close the circle
When the new moon returns, look back at the four cards on your dressing table. Notice which ritual stayed with you, and keep that one. That is your herbal practice, made by you.
If you would like a ritual built around your own skin, sleep and season, book a one-to-one consultation with me.
Book a Herbal Ritual ConsultationFollow us on Instagram and TikTok, where we share a ritual at every phase of the moon.
With love from the apothecary, Bella
These rituals draw on traditional herbal use and are not medical advice. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication, please check with your GP or a qualified herbalist before trying a new herb or infusion.
Photograph: Hussein El Ali via Pexels.